Valve for depth charge firing mechanisms



March 23, 1948. w. B. ELLwooD VALVE FOR DEPTH CHARGE FIRING MECHANISMS Filed Aug. 25, 1942 2 sheetssheet 1 ,Lf V

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INVENTOR WALTER B. ELLWO l Z l NV v v M mv W/ y- March 23, 1948. w. s. ELLwooD v VALVE FOR DEPTH CHARGE FIRING'MECHANISMS Filed Aug. 25, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WALTER RELLWOOD v 77mm@ ATTORNEY l Patented Mar. 23, 1948 IT'E'D Para Nrr erica vALvEFo-itnnr'rn CHARGE-Fiume.

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This invention-'relates o improvements .inexplosive marine depth charges; the fundamental purpose "of the instant `improvementbeingvlto enable .the-extension" of the setting of? 3the depth currently adopted setting j for ordnance of this type. "The 4`latter 'circumstance catrame-amplified briefly iby explaining "thatth'e" prevailing practice is: to arrange for the explosionof Adepth charges atzdistances of submergence limited to approxi- In mately threehundred lfeet.' Y A n Said limitation is `'imposed upon the fdepth .charge by the characteristics of "its 4vfiring mechanism which isV '.'commonlyfknown asftlieplstol, and not 'byM the :depth "charge 'itself.A The latter can beexplo'dedatany distance o'f"=submergence, and it is. to accomplish thatpurpose Vthat the #pistol is herein equipped Witlra so-'calledrextension- .Thisextension comprises a substitute Water'flnlet valve which increases' the *scope'of operativeness i; of .the pistolto six; hundred feet-ermora "This added function' is `achieved 'withoutaffecting the normal.' three hundred foot "setting of 'the pistol, tlieus'e of 'Whichv when sdili'ci'entifor aparticlar conditi-on preemptingthat of its `extension -an'd 1 relegating the latter to the state of 4va'virtually -idle adjunct. g

'From the" foregoing preamble-'iti will be understood' that the newv device in now'ayaffects the ope-ration of thepresent pistloverlits Anormal i' The .accomplish-mentpf the basic 'aorementioned objects. is obtainedbyjprovidlng:a Water "4 inlet valve. forthe pistolwhich can be l'set either to Aallow .thepist'ol to functionj'as 'it normally `Would within..the .present intialthree hundred foot rangeor to close off thepistol againstoperation .during said .initial range until' 'the succeeding threehundre'd foot zone fxsubmergenceis entered.

A further object of th'e.`inventibn.is'"`toprovide a-V :modied i water .inletv'alve 'for'.a"conventional :2 ."doublefunctioninfrespect tothe pistol mechani'smyrst; providing ior the adjustment-of said valve to an initially open position to assume I:audorman't:status during-a primary zone of submergence isecond; icy-providingfor initially clos- .ing-i:said-valve to resist-opening during said Apri- -m'ary ...zene of submergence and be subject to opening only: inf response to the superior pressure :encountered ina-succeeding zone ol-submergence. fStillll-urtherobjects, advantages, and improvementswillloe-apparent to those skilled in the vart aterhavingtne advantages of the following 'desc'ri-pt-ion f-the invention taken in connection 'Withtheaccofmpanying drawings, oi which:

"Fig-ure' 1 isla partiallysectional and elevational view tof iaimarir-ie-depthV charge, illustrating the locationfo'fthe improved Water inlet valve'in reference to other structural features. Y

tligure l 2--is f alongitudinalsection oi the pistol lappearingfinFig. 1, Aparts being in elevatiomagain showingfthe-improved -Water'- inlet valve. lglure'tis=a-perspectiveview of the indexed dial plate.

Figure Allis 4aperspective View of the lpack-ing nut.

ligurefbills `a perspective viewoi the valve seat.

.ligiire' is-an' enlargedlongitudinal section of *the-body-and the internal parts oi the .improved irrletfvalve. lFiguretis af-frontelevation fsaid body, the .inlet Iyalve cover and `gasket being omitted.

'IneorderY-to lay the background for the improvement upon-Which this description is -prefaced, lit is believed desirable to give av brief outline of the construction of thevpresent type of imarine -depithocharge Said charge, generally 'spokenfofiinia collective sense, comprisesla case lf (fg. "ll V"Which-is sealed `at its ends by -heads I l) I2.` These 'heads carry Vcentrally locatedzcase flanges I3, fill infwhich theends of -a core tube -l-arexed to deiine a 'chamber' i6. Thischamber; inf'prac'tioe, is `lled .With 'an explosive .sub-

`stancefnot shown), the ignition of which is -carrie'dspindle' 20.A The second one of said flanges Lisrknovvnfasthe.pistol carrying-flange since it Jsupportslapistol, generally designated 2.2i. 'Said pistolfcons-ists of- `a mechanism.casing'` 2:2, located pistol in a depth charge, Whi'ch'va'lve serves'fa@55"internallyofthefcore tube laf-rom Which-casing a guide tube 23 extends toward the center of the depth charge. A centering flange 24 attached to the guide tube 23, makes contact with the interior of the core tube I to assist in the support of the pistol 2|. Carrier means 25 (Fig. 2) supports a detonator 26 in a position to project beyond the flange 24 toward the can booster I9. The latter has what is known asl an envelope 21 (Fig. 1) to :receive the detonator.

Said detonator is adapted to be exploded by a ring pin 28 (Fig. 2). This pin is attached to a firing plunger 29 which has an annular series of holes (only one shown), each to' contain a lock ball 36. A bushing 3| slidably contains the ring plunger 29. It is held therein by the lock balls, in a retracted position from the detonator 26 and against the tension of the Ifiring spring 32 A pistol release plunger 33, movably contained by the firing plunger 29, is held back therein by a spring 34 in a position to obstruct the holes and thus support the lock balls 30 in their outward positions against the beveled edge 35 of the bushing 3 I.

Upon eventual movement of the stem 36 of the piston 31 by force of internal hydrostatic pressure thereagainst, a movement of the release plunger 33 occurs. This is caused by the engagement of an upright wall portion of the stem 36 with a spindle 38 projecting from the plunger 33. VThe latter thereupon moves as stated, bringing its annular recess 39 into registration with the lock balls 3D. The inward displacement of the balls 36 `due to their'cam action against the bevel 35 under the increasing pressure of the spring 32 against the firing plunger 29, releases the :tiring plunger 29 so that the firing pin 28 is caused to stab the detonator 26 by virtue of the pressure of the firing spring 32.

Normally, and prior to the preceding action, the booster can I9 and the detonator 26 are spaced apart (Fig. 1) as a precaution against unintentional detonatlon of the booster charge contained by the ycan I9. It is necessary to bring the two together in order that the setting off of the detonator may explode the booster charge.`

This is done at the time -of dropping the depth charge, by the displacement of a fork 40 from an annular groove in the exposed end of thespindle 20. The resulting release of the spindle allows it to slide inwardly by a mechanism located inside the part 4I (Fig. 1) known as the bellows guard, bothby virtue of a spring (not shown) and admitted water. The inward motion of the booster can I9 stops when the detonator 26 is fully housed by the envelope 21.

Referring now to the pistol end of the depth charge (Fig. 2), the structure comprises a circu lar plate 42 which is fixed in a seat 43 in the outer face of the pistol carrying flange I8, Angularly spaced depressions such as 44 in said plate 42, individually contain the spring-pressed plunger 45 of a pointer plate 46 to hold the particular depth setting to which said pointer plate 46 is adjustable. The pointer plate is connected to a carrier plate 41 which is keyed at 48 to the reduced forward extremity 49 of the depth setting sleeve 50.

A clockwise turn of the pointer plate 46 for an increased depth setting advances an adjusting bushing 5I contained by the sleeve 50, forwardly;

ing 5I and with the piston 31. The latter is held from turning because of its connection with the bellows -54 and the attachment of the bellows to its anchored extension 55. The pistol-carrying flange I8 to which the extension 55 is anchored also carries the previously described mechanism Casing 22.

An adjustment of the pointer plate 46 to a depth index numeral less than for fifty feet, for example thirty feet, will not move the bushing 5I forwardly far enough to contact the normally spaced setting spring 56 with its objective spring engaging collar 51 -on the front extremity of the stem 36. An adjustment of said plate for `the iifty foot setting will advance said spring intomere contact with said collar 51 on the front extremity of the stem 36. Adjustments of the ypointer'plate beyond the fifty foot setting will progressively increase the compression of the then contacting depth setting spring.

The invention begins with the water inlet valve body 58, although its exterior is identical with the currently used valve body. For the disposal ofthe latter point, said body includes a stop flange 59 (Figs. 1, 2, 6 and '1) and a thread course 66. The flange has spanner wrench notches (Fig. '7) to facilitate screwing the valve body home in the threaded portion of a bore 6I in the forward extremity 49 of the depth setting sleeve 5B which,

.for one of the purposes of the improved water its distinction from the currently used valve body begins. Said valve body 58 has bores 65 and 66 of different diameters, directed inwardly from the respective inner and outer ends of said body. The bore 65A is fully threaded. 'I'he bore 66 is threadedonly part way. It supports a gland 61 which compresses a packing 68 against thev sloping wall of an internal annular shoulder 69. Said shoulder separates the bores and provides a stop against which the shoulder69a of an externally threaded portion -of a seat member 10 is initially driven. A :cylindrical chamber 1I beginning at the inner end of the seat member 10 communicates with the forwardly directed orice 12 which occupies allof the head 13 of said member and a portion of the adjacent intermediate enlargement 14. Y

The inner edge 15 of the orifice 12 deiines a seat for a ball or equivalent valve member 16. Said valve is loosely contained by a ball-centering cavity 11 in the circular flange 18 Yof a stem 19. The flange 18 has a .restricted yet ample peripheral clearance in the chamber 1I. to permit the regular iiow of water back into the mechanism. A rudder screw or equivalent stem guide means has an oversize hole, the wall of which serves as a guide for'the valve stem 19. Said screw is also an abutment for the inner end of the va-lve spring 8|. The forward end of this spring engages the back of the flange 18, but lacks compression under any setting of the pointer plate 46 Within the three hundred foot submergence range. For that reason the valve 16 is centrally spaced from its seat 15. It is only when it is desired to extendrthe depth at which assaut the charge will explode. that theA spring 8l is put under compression whereupon the valve 16 bement` of the-rudder4 screw-by=mans of av screwdriver as oney of lthe acts -inf ssembling' the' inlet-waive; Theadoptedidiisthient is set bya drpp of'selder` 84;4 Y

The head 13- also hasa "screwdriver slot 85 which provides for-awscrewdriver adjustment of the-seat member 16 when-it is quired toextend the depth settings Said-{hea} lfis-formed into a 'pointer 'lwhich-isaccentuated@ by a radial recess 81, centeredilin-the pointer and filled with ccalored-wax;` Theadjustrnent ofthe seat member 10 is readable-.at the: pointer 86 in reference to indicia 88 on a dial plate 89V (Figs. 3 and 7). Said indicia marked Depthin feet, consists of imprints reading-350',- 400-,f'500'and 600, denoting successively deeper levels of submergence at which the pistol can be made to re. One set of said imprints reads to 300 and is located in such a position that when occupied by the pointer 86 will denote an open setting for the ball valve 16.

Screws 96 secure the dial plate 89 to the valve body 58 in covering relationship to the gland 61, both the dial plate and gland having central openings collectively defining a cavity 9| in which the pointer 86 is movable. A -lug 92 directed inwardly of the cavity from the dial plate provides a stop past which the pointer 86 cannot be moved in the counterclockwise direction.

The operation of the improved water inlet valve is readily understood. It has been made clear that the substitute valve 58 does not change the established working o f the present pistol 2| over its normal range, said valve assuming control only when firing is tobe accomplished in excess of three hundred feet of submergence. Also it has been made clear that the valve 58 occupies the same space as the present inlet valve assembly, and is equipped with similar restricted orifices.

The present safety and precision depth setting features of the standard pistol are not interfered with because ofthe open or oif setting of the valve 58 in the foregoing three hundred foot range. In other words, the pointer Vplate 46 still can be adjusted through its normal range to insure an explosion at any of the indexed fractional depths in the initial three hundred foot zone. Any such adjustment greater than for ilfty feet will put the depth setting spring 56 under compression and make it increasingly hard for the hydrostatic pressure to move the piston 31 to the right (Fig. 2). During these adjustments the ball valve 16 remains unseated (Figs. 2 and 6) its spring 8| not being under compression.

Here it may be pointed out that the improved valve lacks the anticountermine device of the existing inlet valve as an individual element. In other words, a valve adapted to close under the influence of a pressure wave from a contiguously exploded depth charge, thereby to prevent the premature firing of the pistol, is herein omitted. Since practice has established the belief that anticountermining of the currently used pistol is; due to tifehignsdige impedance thermen liquid: passageilvayslratifier";haiitliev inward closingfof an-anticountermining valve, reliance isput in the improved'lvalve nfthe' closecleararices around the b'allcente'ring, Harige' x18 and itsste'x'n 1.9!t'o prevent countermining. To state an 'example: which is *nlytofbe regarded as illus-1 trative,lv the .clearance between: the 4stem 19 v and the bore in` the rudder screwff Lis alfiinch. while the Aclearance between the5perinieterfoff the flange 18 and the chamber 1.1" is il/ggslnch.

'ShouldV itcbe. 'desi-recinto' adjust the :valve 58 fior afring ofthe pistol at. a`VV `depth:greater than three hundredfeet the-setting ismadeat anyindexdposition (Fig..'1)' byLless than affull clockwise turn-of 'a screwdriverinserted inthe slot 85. For the purpose of-a'cces's the cover 612' has to be screwed offit being replaced Vafter the' adjustment. The effect of the latter. in the' extra depth zoneA nowV underxiconsideration is toscrew the seat member 10-awayzfromthe-gshoulder: 69; The seat 15 thus catches 'uprwith thevalve 16,` soto speak, and closes theorice 12. Since the rudder screw is fixedgit'vfollows that the erstwhile. slack spring 8|` is' Vput under 'compression in; amounts increasing vwith Athe extra depth -adj ustment. i

Upon knocking .olfl the knob-63 Yprior.` todropping the depth' chargej overboard, .water will -enter theY resultinghole inthe-'cover 62. A hydrostatic pressure agreeing with the depth of submergence and the index setting of the pointer 86 will unseat the valve 16 against the compression of the spring 8|. The function of the depth setting spring 56 (Fig. 2) is now superseded by the valve spring 8 l. To this end said valve spring becomes an auxiliary depth setting spring.

The water lls the spaces Within the bellows 54 and its extension 55, and exerts pressure on the hydrostatic piston 31. Inward movement of the latter compresses the spring 32. The plunger 29 maintains a fixed abutment for the right end of said spring as long as the release plunger 33 remains beneath the lock balls 30. A push of sufficient duration against the spindle 38 by the confronting part of the stem 36 will register the recess 38 with the balls 30. The mounting compression of the spring 32 then displaces said balls inwardly by the previously mentioned cam action against the beveled edge 35, the unlocking of the plunger 29 at that moment projecting thefiring pin 28 with sufficient force to stab and thus explode the detonator 26.

While the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred examples thereof which give satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is my intention, therefore, to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modications.

The invention herein described may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon ortherefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a submersible hydrostatically operable device into which a pressure liquid is admissible, a ball valve for said device comprising a relatively stationary valve body, a seat member'having a liquid inlet orice defining a seat in conununication with the interior of said valvebody, the ball valve being initially spaced from but engageable with the seat, said seat member having a chamber and being adjustable in the valve body to eventually close said spacing, a circular ball-centering flange occupying the chamber in the seat member, said flange backing the ball and having a stem, a. spring engaging the back of the ange but initially lacking compression to produce said initial spacing of the ball valve, and a. tail support having a guide bore for said stem, said bore and chamber having relatively close clearances around the respective stem and circular ange.

2. A valve comprising a valve body, a. thread course in the body ending in an internal shoulder, a valve stem centered on the axis of the'valve body and having a iiange with a ball-centering cavity, stem guide meansfxedly occupying the outer end of the thread course and having an oversize hole guiding thevalve stem and providing for fluid egress, a seat member adjustably screwed into the thread course and having a iiuid inlet orifice providing a seat edge confronting said ange, a ball valve member pocketed between said edge and the cavity of the ange, and a spring seated between the stem guide means and stem ange, said spring normally lacking corn-Y pression when the seat member is adjusted into abutment with the internal shoulder.

` WALTER B. ELLWOOD 8 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED, STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,202,965 Callicott Oct. 31, 1916 1,212,148 Donnelly Jan. 9, 1917 1,368,569 Minkler Feb. 15, 1921 1,569,187 Jewell Jan. 12, 1926 1,617,674 Dieter Feb. 15, 1927 1,656,670 Greenhouse Jan. 17, 1928 1,672,205 Eisler June 5, 1928 1,770,909 Brooks July 22, 1930 A1,798,027 Myer Mar. 24, 1931 1,931,938 Pippin Oct. 24, 1933 1,991,227 Proctor et a1. Feb. 12, 1935 2,041,148 Redeld May 19, 1936 2,184,773 Browning Dec. 26, 1939 2,226,545 Blasig Dec. 31, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 115,822 Great Britain Apr. 3, 1919 

